As for the Almighty,
we cannot find Him;
He is excellent in
power, In Judgment
and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
Therefore men fear
Him; He shows no
partiality to any who
are wise of heart.
Job 37:23–24
Elihu in
speaking to Job had these verses stated above for us to read as well as words
to Job to hear. Elihu states that God is mighty (36:5, that God is a deliverer
for the poor and opens their ears (36:5). Furthermore, Elihu points out that
God is exalted in His power, (36: 22), and
God is great and we cannot know Him (36:26). This fear spoken by Elihu
is not fear of death, nor of harm, it is a reverential fear, a fear that is to
be given to God who is the object of our fear. God who is Good, Love, Just,
Omniscient, Omnipresent, All powerful, the creator, creating ex nihilo for all that
exists: He is our object of our fear and our worship is in accord to that fear
of Him. Moses records for us this fear in the record of Jacob while he was in
Laban’s house: “Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear
of Isaac, had been with me, surely now you would have sent me away
empty–handed…..” “The God of Abraham, the God of Nahor, and the God of their
father judge between us.”” And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father
Isaac) (Genesis 31:42, 53). The Fear spoken here is of a reverential fear
of God who is the object of our fear, our worship. It is when we fear God,
reverentially, as the Creator, the One deserving of our fear, our worship and
put this fear above all things, then we are living our lives according to His
commands and not the ideologies, philosophies, and theologies that are not of
Him, and not from Him. Paul writes: “But you, O man of God, flee these
things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which
you were also called and have confessed to good confession in the presence
of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things,
and before Christ Jesus who witnesses the good confession before Pontius
Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord
Jesus Christ’s appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords. Who alone has
immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see,
to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen (1Timothy 6:11–16). Did you not, oh! Children of God, give
confession before Him and all that were present to hear your confession to
follow Him, that He alone is your God, your Savior, and that you will follow
Him wherever He may lead you? If so then fight the good fight and do not be
swayed by those philosophers, who have so influenced society, and has infected
their philosophies which are contradictory to Scripture in some Churches
causing many to follow after those things that tickle the ear but are far from
the truth. These blogs are to help us, this is why God appointed preachers: “How
then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a
preacher” (Romans 10:14)? You may have a full–time job and not have the
time to search out all the ins and outs of all the things that are influencing
you, your Church, and yet, that is what a preacher does, or those who have the
time to study and search out what is being taught as to whether or not they are
of God, that is, are they Scriptural. It is this illumination given to men who
study His word, that His word illuminates the one studying by the power of the
Holy Spirit working in their lives. It is work of the Holy Spirit that teaches
us by means of His word what is truth and what is error. It is not some
revelation thought that many say they have, only that that thought has not
Scripture to give support. It is only by means of God’s word that faith can
come, grow, and aid in our Sanctification: “So then faith come by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The questions for anyone
who confesses to be a Christian: “ Will the word of God be a stumbling stone, a
mill–rock; or, will the word of God enlighten you to fear Him? Will you not only apprehend the truth in God’s word? Will you
apply that truth to your lives?” Many have determined to make for themselves a
god that is pleasing to them, even if that god is a harsh god, they then just
cause another god to arise who will not be so harsh, or they have so fallen
with false philosophies and theologies that they are not hearing the word of
God. We are to seek the truth, not as ancient Israel was said to do, rather as
we have been taught: “Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it
were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone”
(Romans 9:32). Many seek, even think they have found it, faith, true
Christianity by means of the supernatural theology that is being preached, a
psycho–babble message, or philosophies that have a ring of truth that tickles the ears, that is so easy to hear and does not make cause to pick
up the cross of Christ daily and follow Him, they stumble at the horror of the
cross, yet desire to have what the cross gives to God’s children: salvation. It
is this type of work that is displeasing to God, as much as this work that is
done gives one a self–sense of accomplishment that God would be so pleased
with them, only to find out later that God is not pleased with our work outside of our fear of Him. Others cling to the philosophies that have so infected society and
the Church and give to these philosophies validity as equal to the word of God,
either tacitly, or by actual words, spoken or written. We cannot sit by idly
and allow this to happen. We will give an account to God for the faith we have
been given and how we in all our power allowing the Holy Spirit to guide us to
keep the Church, that is all of God’s children, free from these Satanic
influences.
The
upcoming blogs will continue to show how Platonic and Neoplatonic influenced
the Church and does influence many Churches today. It will require that we use
critical thinking and not just accept all that is written, by me, or others;
check out what is said; and wherever I quote from a individual or the Bible, I
will give references by which you can check out what is said. Jude tells us : “And
on some have compassion, making a distinction; but others save with fear,
pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh”
(Jude 22–23). It is the holy and reverential fear, the fear of God knowing
what God requires of us, that we all are ambassadors for Christ and have the
responsibility to show love for all the brethren. So, there is an attempt in
these blogs to help a person change from the inside out, to return, if need by,
to Authentic Biblical Faith.
Now to Him who is able to keep you
From
stumbling, and to present
You faultless before the presence of His
Glory with
exceeding joy,
To God our Savior, who alone is wise,
Be glory
and majesty, dominion
And power, both now and forever. Amen.
Jude
24–25
Can Others See Jesus In You?
Richard L. Crumb
No comments:
Post a Comment